The Wide Angle: Top 10 Fastest Trains

In the United States, people might think of trains as quaint, outmoded forms of transportation. While many cities have light rail transit or subway systems, the train infrastructure in the United States hasn't evolved much over the last several decades. The majority of Americans rely on cars and planes to get around. But the Obama administration is attempting to change that. President Obama set aside $8 billion to begin construction on the United States' first high-speed railways.

The fastest train in the United States is Amtrak's Acela Express, which travels between Boston and Washington, D.C., and reaches speeds of up to 150 mph (241.4 kph). But that's less than half of the top speed of the world's fastest train. There are several trains in Europe and Asia that would leave the Acela Express in the dust.

In these nations, the railways remain a vital part of their transportation infrastructures. If the plan to bolster the railways of the United States comes to fruition, we may see similar trains in the United States within a few years.